Phae Sirens are an exclusively male subspecies of sirens who are thought to have been created by a normal siren being crossed with a Nokken, a creature known for its shape-shifting abilities and strong illusion magic.

Appearance

Phae Sirens are usually based on deep sea fish such as eels, hagfish, angular fish, and squid. They are usually pale with brightly colored tails, eyes, and hair which are very rarely in line with the species they are based on.

It isn't unusual to see this species have a more ghastly appearance than traditional mermaids/sirens: lacking gill covers, wide eyes (or none at all), and unsettlingly long or sharp teeth.

Phae Sirens have been known to have webbed fingers and sharp nails that function more like claws than real nails, usually made of placoid scales rather than keratin like human nails. They also lack nipples as the human half of their body is more a form of mimicry than actually a mammal.

Biology

In addition to appearance, Phae Sirens also have different biology to other sirens. Every member of the species is hermaphroditic (having both sets of genitalia, most common in snails and slugs) with some being more likely to lay eggs than others, the gravid members often stick to the bottom of the cove to stay protected and be brought food from that night’s hunt.

This species is nocturnal and most sleep within crevasses in their rocky home where the cruel sun cannot reach them, being extremely photosensitive to the point where some could die or go blind.

Behavior

Phae Sirens are a communal species with groups said to range anywhere from 20 to 100 and are extremely aggressive when night falls. Many of the smaller groups are made of the rare exiles from larger groups, usually caused by major offenses against leaders of the group.

All Phae Siren groups are called drifts.

As could be expected, this species is entirely nocturnal but a few guards remain awake during the day to be sure that the group is not in danger of attack, these groups are usually led by the leader or second in command and stay low enough that the sun isn't harmful.

Traditions

As Phae Sirens grow and become more independent, they will all eventually receive tattoos for various tasks but the most important is their first: learning to swim and hunt. The tattoos are given using sea urchin spines and squid ink, the process long and painful but important in becoming an adult. It is rare to find two of the species (especially in the same drift) with the same tattoos, each one holding some significance to the parents or the wearer of the tattoo. Despite this, it is customary for the leaders of the drift to bare the Viking compass somewhere on their body to symbolize that they guide those under them.

Another important step in a Phae Siren’s life is the choosing of a new leader after the passing or disabling of the original and the second in command. During this process, those who are seen as most fit to lead are to undergo a series of rigorous trials to test physical and mental strength, the other members of the drift making the decision and giving the new leader their tattoo. The leader will then choose a second in command by dawn in two day’s time. The leader will then receive a new name based on that of a Norse god or goddess, showing the respect of the drift and their own personality.

Every member of every drift is capable of making various things. From their spears of driftwood and stingray barbs to simple musical instruments, each pair of sirens is responsible for teaching their offspring to be handy and, most importantly, retrieve the materials for a spear: a stingray barb from a dead stingray, carving driftwood into the proper shape, and extracting lionfish venom to make the spear deadly even if the aim is off.

Language

Phae Sirens speak a language similar to the real world language of Norwegian. It's very rare for any part of the drift to know Common and, if a member does know it, the foreign tongue is usually broken and they seem uncomfortable with the attempts.

Those who have managed to befriend the hostile creatures and learn the language are few and are thought to be a myth, making it nearly impossible to communicate with them. Legend has it that a demi-deity once lived with a large drift and learnt the sirens' tongue rather quickly. Although, it be just another myth.